Buckle



April 17, 192s. 1,666,526

C. J. DAHLGREN BUCKLE Filed Oct. 30, 1925 I\ Y .Y INVENTOR Fig 6 4251-1 CharlesJ. Dahlgnn z B24 g 40 ORNEY Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J'. D AHLGREN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

BUCKLE.

Application ma october so, 1925. serial No. 65,730.

This invention relates to strap buckles, and particularly to that type of buckle used in vests and other wearing apparel. My invention contemplates the provision of an efiicient buckle for locking the free end of a strap in adjusted position, wherein said free end may be tucked underneath the frame not only for concealing all of the buckle parts excepting the frame, but also for concealing thesecured end ofthe strap or belt. The invention further contemplates a simplified buckle construction, efficient to secure the ends of the strap or belt without injuring the material thereof. The various objects of V the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view of one forni of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section thereof showing the belt ends in place.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the movable tongue carrying frame.

Fig. et is a front view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of tongue.

Fig. 5 is a central horizontal section of the same.

Fig. 6 is a front view of my invention showing a modified form of tongue and buckle frame.

Fig. 7 is a central horizontal section of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a front view similar to Fig. 1 .showing the preferred form of tongues,yand

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical section and side view of the tongue frame showing the means for maintaining said frame in place.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I provide a preferably substantially rectangular frame as 10, which may be of the usual type. Formed integrally with and extending between the sides 11 and 12, and intermediate of the ends 13 and 14 of said frame is the cross bar 15, said cross bar being preferably substantially parallel to said frame ends. Vhere said cross bar 15 meets the sides of the buckle frame, said' bar is reduced in width to'form'bearing pins 16 on which the tongue carrying member 17 is suitably mounted for pivotal movement.. In order to form a joint between the member 17 and the cross bar 15 for allowing relative rotation of said member and said cross bar, the member 17 is preferably made U-shaped and comprises the tongue b ar 18 from which suitable tongues as 19 may project toward the adjacent buckle frame' end 14, and includes further supporting arms as 20 forming the legs of the U and extending from the tongue bar 18 in the opposite direction, that is, toward the end 13. Said arms 20 are apertured as at 21 and are split atthe ends 22 thereof from a point at the end of said arm to said aperture as by means of the preferably radial cut 23.

To mount the member 17 in place, the ends 22 are spread apart about the cut 23 a sutticient distance to allow said ends to pass over the reduced bearing pins' 16 a sufficient distance to cause said pins to lie completely within the respective apertures 21, where- Yafter the cut 23 is closed and the member 17 is securely pivoted on the bearing pins 16. The arms 20 are preferably slightly flared outwardly so that the distance between the lower edges 40 thereof is slightly greaterthan the inside width of the buckle frame, and also slightly greater than the Widthbetween the upper edges 41 thereof. The purpose of the Hare or spreading of said arms is to provide a locking means for preventing apping about of 'the tongue member 17. When said member is pressed back into the belt locking position thereof, the edges 41 are forced past the inner edges of the frame sides 11 and 12, and owing to the peculiar U-shape of the tongue member, may be readily sprung or snapped past said sides. To open the buckle, said edges 41 must, therefore, be forced forwardly past the sides 11 and 12, whereby a slight resistance is offered to the opening of the buckle, sufficient Vto maintain the tongue member 17 in place against accidental displacement. It will be understood that instead of flaring the lbottom edges of the arms, said arms may be spread slightly apart toward the ton ues end of the member' 17 with the same e ect.

It will be seen that by reason of the pecu1- iar shape of the tongue carrying member V17, the tongue bar 18 thereof is spaced from the cross bar 15, leaving an opening 24 therebetween. The secured end 25 of the belt or strap 26 may readily be passed underneath l of substantially the entire width of the opening 27 may be used in connection with my improved buckle if desired. Y

It will further be seen that by reason of the provision of the opening 24 caused by the arrangement of the tongue bar 18 in substantial spaced relation to the crees' bar 15, suilicient space is provided for passing the strap end 25 about the cross bar, thereby securing the end of the strap 26 in place.

A ledge as 29 is formed integrally with the buckle end 14 and is turned inwardlyand rearwardly of said end to provide a ledge or extensionl 30 projecting inwardly over the Y inner edge 31 of the buckle end 14. Said ledge serves to limit the rearward rotation of the member 17 about its bearing 16, and serves-an additional purpose soon to be described.

Inthe form shown in Fig. 1, the tongues Y' 19 project a comparatively short dist-ance tion in the buckle, the free end 33 thereof is passed rearwardly of the ledge 29 through the opening 24 between said ledge andthe tongue bar 18, whereafter the member 17 is pressed and rotated rearwardly until furthermovement thereof is prevented by the ledge 29.

' As the tongues 19 and 32 snap past the inner edge 31 of the buckle frame, the inaterial of the belt 26 is slightly compressed therebetween, and in the cases wherein pointed tongues are used, the points of said tongues enter the material to a slight extent. Even though no points whatever are used in said tongues the material gripped between Vthe ends thereof and the edge 31 is carried back to the ledge 29 and gripped between the ends of said tongues and said ledge as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby a reentrant hitch or fold is formed in the belt, and said belt is locked in place against movement in any direction. It will be understood that tension on the belt 26 merely causes said belt to be gripped more tightly between the locking members of the buckle. In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the ledge 29 is entirely dispensed with and depressions as 35 are made at the inner edge 31 of the buckle frame while the tongues 36 are made sufficiently pointed to pierce the material of the belt completely. In the preferred form of `tongues 42, as shown in Fig. 8, the tongues are not made suliiciently pointed to pierce the material of the belt, three tongues are provided to grip the belt and the tongue bar is madeY slightly wider at t-he center for greater strength at the belt gripping portion. After the belt has been locked in adjusted position, the free end 33 thereof is passed rearwardly through the opening 27 behind the buckle frame end 13 whereby the secured end of the belt together with vthe crossV bar 15 and the member 17 are entirely concealed from view, leaving visible only the buckle frame 10 'and the finished appearance of a belt buckle of the best grade is presented.

The frame 10 may have comparatively wide, thin ends and narrow deep sides as illustrated in Fig. 1, or said frame may be made ofV uniform width and thickness asr indicated in Figs. 4 and 6 if desired.

It will be seen that I have provided a buckle of simple construction, effective for the purpose for which it is intended and designed to present a nished and elegant appearance. It will further be understood that various forms of my invention shown herein are intended to be illustrative only, and that it is not my intention to limit my,- self only to those forms.

I claim:

1. A buckle comprising a buckle frame, a tongue frame, and arms on said tongue frame pivoted to said buckle frame and slightly spread apart to provide a varying distance therebetween for engaging the sides of and snapping past said buckle frame on the rotation of said tongue frame into Voperative position, said distance at one pointbeing greater than the Vinside width of said frame and at another point being less than the inside width of said frame.

2. A buckle comprising a frame Vadapted to be formed of a single piece of sheet material, a thin, flat cross bar adapted to have the unmutilated end of a belt secured thereabout, said cross bar being integral with and extending from one side to the other side of said frame between the ends thereof, a doubled over end on said frameincluding a member arranged in the plane of the outer face ofthe frame, and including Va depending portion integral with said member and bent at an interior angleof less than to said memberto form a limiting ledge, a tongue carrying member comprising a tongue bar in spaced relation to said cross bar, tongues projecting from said tonguebar toward and entirely inside of the adjacent frame end and just clearing said end, anda pair of thin, spaced, apertured arms integral with and projecting from said tongue bar toward said cross bar and pivotally mounted on said cross bar at the apertures of said arms.

3. A buckle comprising a frame of a single piece of sheet material including a cross bar extending' between the sides of and integral with the remainder of said frame, a substantially iiat, tbin and wide tongue carrying member' formed of a single piece of sheet material and comprising wide, thin, apertured arms spaced apart a distance equal to the inside width of said frame, said arms being integral with and bent at substantially right angles to the remainder of said member and being pivoted to the extreme ends of said cross bar at the apertures of said arms whereby the effective width of said frame and of said member for the reception of the unmutilated free end of a belt is substantially unaffected, and a tongue carrying bar on said member spaced from said cross bar sutliciently to allow an unmutilated belt end to be inserted between said tongue bar and said cross bar and to be secured about said cross bar and tongues carried by said tongue bar, said tongues being of such length as to remain at all times inside of said frame, and means for limiting the movement of said member in one direction. f

4. A buckle comprising a substantially rectangular' frame formed of a single piece of sheet material, a tongue carrying bar having tongues thereon adapted to engage an end portion of a belt, said tongue carry ing bar being of substantially the width of the inside of said frame, said belt end being adapted to be passed over said tongues and under the further end of said frame for concealing all of the buckle parts excepting said frame, a thin, fiat cross bar integral with the sides of said frame, and in spaced relation to said tongues and the ends of said frame, adapted to have the other end of said belt secured thereto across the full unmutilated width of said belt, thin arms secured to said tongue carrying bar and pivoted to the extreme ends of said cross bar whereby the eiective belt holding width of said cross bar is substantially maintained, said arms being of substantially greater depth than width, and said arms, tongue carrying bar and tongues being formed of a single piece of sheet material, and means for limiting the movement of said tongues and serving to have part of the belt forced thereinto in a fold of substantial length and curvature.

5. A buckle comprising aI frame, a cross bar intermediate of the ends of said frame and adapted to have one end of a belt passed underneath one end of said frame and secured thereto, a tongue carrying bar having tongues entirely inside of said frame in spaced relation to said cross bar for co-acting with the inner edge of the other endV of said frame for detachably securing the other end of a belt therebetween, and arms connected to said tongue carrying bar and pivoted to the ends of said cross bar, said frame including,` a bend across the end of said frame having an interior angle of less than 9()O and including a frame end substantially continuous with the remainder of said frame, and an inwardly overhanging ledge forming a pocket between said frame end and said ledge at said bend.

6. A buckle comprising a frame of sheet material having end portions arranged substantially in the plane of the face of said frame, a. ledge integral with one end of said frame and bent inwardly and rearwardly from the outer edge of said end and out of said plane to form a reentrant pocket having an interior angle of less than 900, and a cross bar arranged intermediate of the ends of said frame, a tongue carrying bar having tongues in spaced relation to said cross bar and of sufficient length to pass the inner edge of the adjacent frame end into engagement with said inturned ledge, and arms connected to said tongue carrying bar and pivoted to the ends of said cross bar, whereby said ledge limits the movement of said tongues about said cross bar, and the material of a belt is forced into said pocket when said tongues are forced past the inner adjacent end of the frame.

7. A buckle comprising a buckle frame, a U-shaped tongue frame, `comprising a tongue bar and flared arms extending from said bar and adapted to snap past the sides of said buckle frame Yfor maintaining said Atongue frame against accidental displacement, said arms being spaced apart at one point a distance less than the inside width of said buckle frame and at another point, a distance greater than said width.

CHARLES J. DAHLGREN. 

